ShangriLa
by FoxWitch
Summary: HarryDraco Veela mate fic. When Harry is revealed as Draco's mate, will the boywholived accept Draco as his mate or will he condemn him to his death.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter. If I did, you would know.

Warning: contains slash. Don't like, don't read.

Shangri-La

Harry Potter wondered through the thick, dark fog of sleep. He knew he was asleep, though he did not know how he knew, and it was for this reason that the absolute clarity of his thoughts and feelings disturbed his so thoroughly. Harry waded deeper into the miasma and slowly a strange sense of anticipation was added to his inner musings.

He was searching for something. He peered intently through the thickening fog and the need to find what he was searching for quickly became a want, then a hunger, and then, finally, a need so desperate that it was akin to the need to breath.

"Where are you?" He heard his own voice, trembling with desperation, break the stagnant silence. And then, as if only waiting for his summons, a shadowy figure appeared. The being remained draped in mist and moved like a storm cloud; ominous but graceful and strangely inviting. Harry did not hesitate to follow that cloud. He knew then and there that whoever that shadowy figure was, he would follow them to the ends of the earth.

_Harry…_A soft, lilting voice whispered through the darkness. _Where are you, Harry? _He moved toward the voice and the figure, willingly enraptured by its beauty. He wanted to call back to it but found his throat frozen and constricted as if incased in a block of ice.

_Harry. _Again that voice called out to him and he reached his arm out towards it, hoping to grasp something tangible. But to his horror, the figure did not come into his arms as he had hoped but began to fade slowly into the ever present mist. The figure was almost gone and Harry was beginning to cry from the knowledge that he would never know who this breathtakingly perfect creature was, when the fog began to clear. The figure reached out to his with as much desperation as he felt. The creature's pretty, perfectly manicured hand covered with skin so pale, it could have been moonlight.

_Harry! _The being whispered, with a hint of urgency and its reaching motion became more frantic. Harry, in turn, made a renewed effort to reach toward it.

_Harry_

_Harry_

_Harry_

**Harry!**

Harry was thrown into a sudden state of wakefulness by his best friend, Ron Weasley, who was looking down at him with an overly annoyed expression.

"Wake UP!" Ron hissed harshly under his breath.

"Hhhmmmuuphh," was his intelligent reply. He was still half-asleep after all.

"Wake up, genius. You've woken up half the dorm room with you stupid sleep-talking. You're not even saying anything entertaining. Only, 'Where are you?' and 'Don't go, don't go!'"

He looked around the dorm and found that what Ron had said was true. He had woken up half of the room's residents. Neville smiled at Harry reassuringly, no doubt convinced that he had had another bad nightmare about the war (The war with Voldemort which was, thankfully, over and had been so for almost half a year.). Seamus smirked at Harry from the farthest bed to the right, who Harry could tell was wondering which Hogwarts student he had been dreaming about, and Dean who lay limply in Seamus' arms and looked frankly too tired to care. Harry gave an apologetic look to his three other dorm mates and threw a half-hearted glare a Ron while stifling a yawn.

"What time is it?"

"'Bout 3:00 am"

"That was the weirdest dream."

"Was it prophetic? Well, no matter. You can tell us about it in the morning." With that, Ron put out his wand and rolled over, falling asleep almost immediately. The rest of his dorm mates followed suit. Harry was not at all surprised with his best friend's easy dismissal of his prophetic dreams. Back when Voldemort was still in power, Harry's prophetic dreams, or dream visions, almost always had to do with the dark lord and naturally were taken very seriously. However, after the dark lords death at Harry's own hands the visions had become much more varied, sometimes important and urgent but more commonly pointless little bits of some random persons life, somewhere in the world.

This dream though, had definitely not been random. However, Harry was hesitant to call it prophetic because it did not have the same feel as a vision but also felt too significant to be just a dream. No, it had felt more like a conversation through a veil. An attempt at communication with him by that amazingly perfect and beautiful…person? Could he really call that amazing creature a person? They had been far to enchanting for such a shoddy title.

Well, those were thoughts for the well rested, which he certainly was not. At that, Harry snuggled into the covers and fell into a light but restful sleep.

Draco Malfoy sat bolt upright in his four-poster bed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, panting and in a cold sweat. It was the night of his sixteenth birthday and what he had long thought would be the happiest moment of his life. Oh, how wrong he had been.

It was a little known fact that the Malfoy line was wrought with absurdly strong Veela blood. A fact that was both a well kept secret within the Malfoy family and an infinite source of pride.

Veela were known to be able to find their mate after their sixteenth birthday. They were said to be able to identify their mates by smell and sensing. This, of course, was absolute stupidity. The truth was that every Veela has a dream the night of their sixteenth birthday in which the identity of their mate is revealed to them. This dream also acted as a trigger to awaken the Veela instinct, which then resulted in being driven crazy by the smell of their mate, amongst other things.

Draco had just had that long awaited dream. And who was his mate? Who was he destined to spend the rest of his life with? Harry-fucking-Potter. Draco buried his head in a pillow and let out a muffled scream.

"Draco, shut the fuck up," grumbled one of his dorm mates and best friend, Blaze Zambini. He let out a pathetic, un-malfoyish whimper in response, which had Blaze up and at his side in two seconds.

"Drake? You okay?" All Draco could do was nod dully. Thankfully, Blaze understood his lack of desire to talk and left him in peace. Harry Potter was his mate. The-Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Fucking-Die. He couldn't possibly spend the rest of his life with Potter. Even with the war over, Voldemort dead, and his father in Azkaban, it went against everything he had ever been taught. Harry Potter was the enemy. And you do not sleep with the enemy. And yet, the Veela in him hummed in pleasure at the idea of doing just that. Having his body pressed up against Harry's, kissing those soft lips, staring into those sparkling emerald eyes that so often had been full of hate but now shined with love…and then it hit him. Not only would he happily spend the rest of his life with Harry Potter, he also knew that there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that Harry would feel the same way. Whether he liked it or not, Draco now knew that he only had a short time left to live. After all, a Veela who is rejected by their mate experiences a painful but rather quick death. He felt tears well in his eyes but wiped them away furiously. Malfoys don't cry. But no matter how hard he tried to calm and how many tears he wiped away, they just kept coming. Eventually Draco gave up his attempt at maintaining his dignity and cried himself to sleep. Something told him it would not be the last time.

"Wake up"

"Hmmmphh"

"Wake up!"

"NUuuu"

"WAKE UP YOU LAZY BITCH!"

"Holy shit!" Draco sat bolt upright in bed, looking around frantically for the source of the frightening noise. Finally, his eyes landed on Blaze Zambini, who sat perched on the end of his bed with his wand against his throat for a voice magnifying charm and a smirk firmly in place.

"Uh oh. Never tickle a sleeping dragon."

"What the hell do you want, Zambini?" Draco ground out, trying to look as menacing as he could with sleep reddened eyes and bed-head.

"Nothing, Sleeping Beauty." Another glare from Draco. "Just thought you might want to know that you've missed breakfast and classes will be starting is twenty minutes."

Harry strolled leisurely toward the dungeon with his books under one arms and a half eaten apple in the opposite hand. He was pleased to know that for once he might be a bit early to potions. After all, the last thing he needed was another detention with Snape. It was while his mind was occupied with the image of a gaping Snape, staring at Harry Potter, who sat in the empty dungeons ten minutes before even Hermione that it happened. He ran into something very soft yet quite solid. Or rather, he fell on top of it.

It was then that he saw a sight that he doubted any other Hogwarts student could boast seeing. Draco Malfoy…with bed-head. He looked down at Malfoy who was obviously out of breath but still managed a rather scathing glare.

"Potter, if you would kindly get off me. I do have better things to do with my time than lay on my back in the middle of the hallway." Why did the idea of Malfoy on his back sound so delicious? Why did his tousled hair and shortness of breath make Malfoy look, dare he say, fuckable? Sure, Harry knew he was gay but, come on. Malfoy?

"Potter!" Harry shook himself out of his musings to look down into steely grey eyes that flashed with anger, and passion, and…nervousness? Why would Malfoy be nervous? And then, everything changed. Now, his eyes flashed in a different way. No longer was there anger and hatred but instead, determination. And, oh god, what was that wonderful smell? He felt his mind become hazy with the enchanting scent. And then…

_Harry. _That voice! The beautiful creature from his dream! But the words were coming from Malfoy's mouth and he realized that the voice did sound quite a bit like Malfoy's. He felt Malfoy's hand reach upward and caress his cheek, pulling him down slightly toward him. Oh my GOD! Malfoy was going to kiss him. And he found that he didn't want to pull away. In an instant, their lips were together in a fiery kiss. No longer did it matter that this was Malfoy. No, now this was the other half of his soul. The kiss was passionate yet gentle, it was perfect. He heard Malfoy's voice in his mind, muttering possessively. _Mine. My mate._ Harry tore away from the kiss immediately. Mate? And then reality came crashing down. He had just kissed Draco-bleeding-Malfoy. His school rival for almost six years. Did Malfoy really think that he could just prance up to him, kiss him, and he would forget all that bad blood between them? Was he really so arrogant that he thought Harry would just jump into bed with him at the first chance? A angry yes echoed in his mind. This was, after all, Malfoy. The most arrogant git on the face of the planet. Well, Malfoy had picked the wrong in-the-closet gay savior of the wizarding world to screw with!

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Listen, Potter." In Harry's opinion, he sounded a little bit too serious given their current position on the floor in the middle of the hallway. "This isn't easy for me to say, so I'm only going to say it once. And I warn you now, however you react to this better be how you really feel. It's actually a life or death situation."

Harry looked anxiously at Malfoy. No matter how much of a git Malfoy was, he was still making Harry curious, as well as invoking his hero complex with the life of death thing. Malfoy took a deep breath as if to compose himself.

"Harry Potter, I'm in love with you."

He's laughing! The bloody bugger was laughing at him after confessing his undying love for him. How dare he?! Who cares if Potter was his mate, he was going to kill the bastard. Draco whipped out his wand and pressed it to Potter's jugular with every intention of hexing the boy wonder halfway to London. Well, it sure got Potter to stop laughing.

"My God," he said. "You're bloody serious, aren't you?" Draco nodded his head slowly and looked up at Potter through his lashes, secretly horrified with the blush of embarrassment he knew stained his cheeks.

"Yes, I want you to go out with me." He knew that from the moment the words left his lips that he didn't have a chance. Draco lowered his wand to his side, a resigned smile on his face. He recognized the look on Potter's face. It was the same look he forced onto his own features right before he rejected a girl that he did not particularly want to hurt.

"Just get it over with Potter. If you're going to reject me, I would much rather have it straight out." Potter's shoulders slumped and he ran his hand through his already tousled hair, giving it that 'just fucked' look. It was a nervous habit that he had developed sometime during third year.

"Listen Malfoy," Draco bristled at the impersonality. "You're good looking and all but we're rivals. We've hated each other since we were eleven. Now, all of the sudden, you love me? You want me to ignore all those years of spite? I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that. The answer is no." He had been expecting this, of course. Potter's body language had screamed out the words before they had left his mouth. But for some reason, the foreknowledge did nothing to ease the sudden pain. And immediately he knew what this feeling was. Death. Everything his father had told him about Veela mating and the possibility of rejecting was true. He had anywhere between two to five days to live.

"The answer is no." Saying such cruel words felt so wrong, even if this was Malfoy. Nor did the other boy's defeated expression help to ease that guilt. Malfoy's head dropped down to his chest and if Harry didn't know Malfoy better, he would have thought the other boy was crying.

"Harry," croaked the broken voice of the other boy. Malfoy swayed dangerously on his feet and he moved forward instinctively to catch him. Malfoy's head shot up at the unexpected touch and Harry for his eyes locked with stormy grey. And Harry was faced with a disturbing and terribly familiar sight. A dimness that he had seen time and time again during the war. Resting in the recesses of Malfoy's beautiful eyes was the shadow of death. Slowly those shaded eyes began to slide shut and Harry was overcome with panic.

"Malfoy, don't you dare die on me!" He shook the other boy into wakefulness. The blond looked at him with a phantom amusement and leaned gently against his chest. Harry let him, not wanting to ruin what might be the other boy's last moments.

"Don't worry, Potter. I'm not dead yet. Still have a day or so till-"To his surprise Malfoy wrenched himself violently from Harry's arms and threw up on the floor. Malfoy trembled visibly from the strength that standing up on his own required. He turned back to Harry with a sad but disturbingly tranquil smile.

"Oh, Harry my love. I guess I never had a chance." And the slytherin fainted right into his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Fox: Sorry it took such a long time to update everyone. Mostly you can blame though because I couldn't upload this chapter for a week. The site kept saying 'an error has occurred' and stuffs. Anyways, here is your angst/romantic goodness. R &R.

Chapter #2

It had been several days since the incident with Malfoy. Harry had rushed the blond slytherin to the hospital wing only to be shoed away by Madam Pomfry. In the following days, he hadn't seen Malfoy at all. He didn't show up for classes or for meals and even his cronies had been unusually reserved.

Harry stood outside the hospital wing, wishing he could kick himself for giving in to his ever-present hero complex. He had no business worrying about Malfoy, even if the blond prat had just admitted his undying love for him only a few days prior.

"Mr. Potter. What an unexpected surprise," drawled the voice of one Lucius Malfoy. What was he doing here? Surely Malfoy wasn't so sick that Dumbledore called his father…

"Well, are you going to stand there all day?" Harry shook himself and walked briskly past the older Malfoy and into the hospital wing.

Every bed in the wing was completely devoid of patients except for one lone bed tucked away in the corner. A surprisingly large amount of visitors sat around the bed, the entourage consisting of Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Narrissia Malfoy, and Madame Pomfry. The last of this group was dabbing insistently with a wet cloth at the forehead of her patient.

It wasn't until then that Harry could get a good look at Draco Malfoy but what he saw frightened him. The tough, arrogant, and snarky prat that he was so used to fighting with seemed almost a shell. His skin was even paler than usual, almost to a point of being transparent, and was covered in of sheen of sweat. His eyes were dilated and darkened to a point of opaqueness and his breath came in rasps.

"Harry," he whispered hoarsely. Harry started and moved to Malfoy's side where Dumbledore was beckoning to. Had Malfoy even turned his head to see him?

"Harry," began Dumbledore, his voice uncharacteristically tired. "Harry, my boy, I'm sure you're wondering what happened to Mr. Malfoy a few days ago in the hallway and why his is in such a state now…" Harry nodded slowly, keeping one eye on the sick slytherin, who continued to struggle with his breathing.

"Well, I'm sure you have learned all about veela in your lessons and their mating process. It seems that Mr. Malfoy has been hiding some rather substantial veela blood. Do you know what happens to a veela when they are rejected by their mates, Harry?"

"They die…"

"That is correct."

Harry's head swam. Was that what Malfoy had meant when he told Harry that he loved him? And the dream? Harry looked down at Malfoy and he immediately knew it was true. Draco was dieing and it was all his fault.

"How long does he have?"

"We don't know. It could be a few minutes or a few days. All we know for sure is that it will be before the end of the day." A retching sob caught all their attentions as Malfoy gave a pitiful gag and threw up a massive amount of blood.

"Harry…" He looked at Draco's pallid features and his heart clenched in his chest. Draco didn't deserve this. "I love you, Harry. Even in death. I can honestly say cough that this is not the way I thought I'd go…" Malfoy's eyes began to close slowly, his breathing evening out as if he was about to drift into a peaceful sleep. Everyone present in the room new differently. Harry felt panic begin to claw at his senses. He didn't want Draco to die. Even the thought of Draco's death sent a jolt of pain through his body and set a sick feeling deep in his stomach.

The room was quite…to quite, Harry realized in absolute horror. He stared down at the Draco and his fears became reality. The slytherin's chest no longer rose and his features were serene like they had never been in life.

Mrs. Malfoy was sobbing into her husband's chest and Harry suddenly felt the urge to cry as well. How could he have let this happen? He had never been able to admit it before but Malfoy had meant something important to him. He couldn't call it love, he didn't know what it was, but it was important.

"Harry Potter, the first person to kill his mate by rejection in over three centuries." Harry's head jerked up when he heard the whispered remark from the doorway of the hospital wing. There stood a beautiful woman with silver hair and eyes that looked like planets. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy dropped to their knees and Harry could do nothing but stare, shocked, as the seen unfolded before him.

"Your Highness," the two Malfoy's whispered in reverence as the radiant woman approached. The queen of the veela smiled down at them, motioning for them to rise.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter # 3

The silvery woman nodded her head to each Malfoy in turn and they rose slowly to their feet. The woman, apparently the queen of the veela, refocused her attention on Harry. Being in the presence of such a powerful magical creature had a certain humbling effect and Harry immediately felt his legs start to tremble violently.

"I-I didn't mean to. I mean I didn't know that-" Harry cursed himself for sounding so pathetic but the queen either didn't notice or didn't care. She approached Harry with a knowing smile and a strange, determined glint in her planet-like eyes.

"Of course, you didn't. That, dear child, is why I'm willing to give you a second chance." Harry blinked up at the queen, not fully processing what she was saying. Narcissa Malfoy took the opportunity to intervene. "Your Highness," she said. Harry noted that her melodic voice had become hoarse with the earlier tears. "You can't honestly be suggesting what I think you are. No one has traveled that path since the days of the Ancient World. Not to mention, Potter rejected my little Draco, what makes you think he will risk his life to return Draco to life?"

"A valid point, Lady Narcissa," the queen replied, inclining her head to the female Malfoy. "However, it is my belief that if anyone can brave the path, it would be young Mr. Potter. As far as your son's rejection, that is up to Harry to choose. So, Harry," the queen queered, "Do you feel you could happily spend the rest of your life with Draco Malfoy in wedlock?"

It was not a question Harry had ever expected to be asked, let alone by the queen of the veela. So, naturally, he did not know the answer. It was then that the memory of his dream rose to the surface. He recalled the feeling he had received from that warmed, beautiful being that truly did resemble Draco Malfoy. Then, he remembered their meeting in the hallway and that sad, serene smile that Draco had offered him before fainting. In their last few meetings, the other boy had indeed presented himself as someone Harry could happily spend the rest of his life with.

Slowly, he cast his eyes back toward the queen and, even slower still, nodded his confirmation. He would do whatever was required of his to bring his intended back to life.

"Wonderful," the queen said smiling down at him. "Harry Potter will bring his mate back from Shangri-La."

A/N: Okay. So I know a bunch of you are like "What the hell is a Shangri-la," and those of you who know what Shangri-la is, are like "What the hell does Shangri-la have to do with Harry Potter and veelas." Well, you all will have to wait because it won't be explained until the next chapter.

Also, my apologies for the shortness of 'this' chapter. Just consider it a transitional chapter to get the plot started. The really plot will really get rolling, starting in the next chapter. Promise.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter# 4

"Wonderful," the queen said smiling down at him. "Harry Potter will bring his mate back from Shangri-La."

Harry gulped, wondering what exactly he had just gotten himself into. The veela queen looked just a little too gleeful, a slightly evil twinkle in her eyes. Something told him that this wouldn't be any walk in the park.

"Sit," the queen said motioning to a chair next to Draco's bed. It was rather disconcerting, sitting next to his mate's cold, lifeless body. Dumbledore conquered a chair for the queen and she nodded gratefully at him and sat facing Harry.

"First off, I believe that proper introductions are in order. I know your name, obviously, mine is Lady Ny'awen, queen of the veela." Harry inclined his head respectfully to the queen, remembering what Hagrid had told him about veela during Care of Magical Creatures. The queen smiled gently at him.

"The task that you have taken on is no small feat. Few veela have ever braved this path, even for their mates. However, if all goes well, it should be a fairly simple task." Harry did not miss the subtle suggestion that everything would almost definitely not go well. "Tell me, Harry, what do you know of Shangri-La?"

"Umm…nothing really. I read a muggle book once that mentioned a place with that name. It said that Shangri-la was a budhist temple in the Tibetian Mountains that vanishes and only reappears for the worthy." The queen nodded thoughtfully.

"That description is surprisingly accurate for a piece of muggle literature. Indeed, Shangri-La is a temple-like city that can not be seen by all. However, it can only be reached two ways: veela magic or death. You see, Harry, Shangri-La is not mythic Budhist temple, it is in fact where veela go when they die." Harry sucked in his breath sharply. He really didn't like where this was going.

"So…when you say that I can rescue Malfoy from Shangri-La, what you're actually saying is that…I would have to go into the afterlife to retrieve his soul?" Lady Ny'awen nodded shortly, her gentleness replaced by strict business. Harry steeled himself for his next decision. He could already feel the claws of depression cleaving at his soul where he now knew Draco Malfoy belonged. He knew that veela could not life without their mates, but that doesn't mean a veela's mate can live happily once their veela was gone. He nodded slowly but decisively.

"Alright. What do I need to do?" Lady Ny'awen grinned broadly at him and he heard Narcissa release a quiet, relieved sob.

"I will send you using my veela magic. You can't bring anything, not even your wand. Just you and the clothes on your back. Once you get there, you will see the main gates. Guarding the city are two sphinxes. When you try and enter they will sense that you are still alive and will not permit you to enter. You must challenge them to a riddle game to win entrance. If you win, then follow the souls into the main courtyard. From there you will be able to locate Draco. Touch him on the shoulder and you will be able to communicate telepathically with him. You will have to convince him to come back with you. That is the hard part. It is not in a veela's nature to defy something as final as death and even for his mate, once died, he will want to stay died. If you manage to convince him, then leave through the same gate that you entered by and you will both automatically be transported back here. There is, however, one very important precaution you must take. Don't say ANYTHING while inside the city gates, don't make a noise! You are completely invisible to the souls that live there until you speak aloud!"

Harry stared at Lady Ny'awen in disbelief. A riddle game? Telepathic communication? He had just found out about the wizarding world at the age of eleven and now this Veela was telling him that their was a mythical, invisible heaven that he had to rescue Draco 'Malfoy' from? This was insane! Why did all the trouble in the world seem to stick to him as if he were flypaper.

"Hurry up, now. The more time we waste sitting here, the harder it will be for us to pull Draco back into the world of the living. I'll open the portal here if Albus can assure no other students will be allowed in here." Lady Ny'awen glanced at Dumbledore for confirmation. The headmaster nodded his reassurance. The Veela queen turned away from them and, moving her arm in a large circle, seemed to cut out a piece of reality, leaving a brightly glowing portal in its place. Harry gulped. Did he really want to do this? This was, after all, his last chance to turn back…His heart decided for him before his mind could even disagree. A vivid picture flashed behind his eyes of Draco professing his love to him. Draco collapsing to the floor from the force of being rejected by his intended. Harry had been given a second chance and he wasn't going to let that happen again.

Squaring his shoulders, he stepped into the light…


	5. Chapter 5

When the light cleared, Harry was faced with the terrifying site of two sphinxes staring him down. Two stories tall with giant claws that could rip him in two, they grinned down at him in unison.

"It has been many years since a wizard approached our gates." They said together and Harry was suddenly reminded of Fred and George Weasley. "What is your purpose here young one?" The sphinxes asked again. Harry blushed a little under the scrutiny of the magical beasts. He may have come to except his situation with Draco but that did not mean he was ready to announce it to anyone that asked.

"I-um-well, you see…"

"Yesssss?" The sphinxes questioned impatiently. Harry grimaced.

"I am here to rescue my mate!" Both the magical creatures looked at each other in alarm and then settled their glazes back on him.

"Oh dear. A Veela intended, are you? Well, what a pity, we were just starting to like you and now we'll have to kill you."

"What?" Harry yelled, panicking as the two sphinxes rose from their seated positions. He scoured his mind for a way out of this mess. Remembering what Ny'awen had told him he gulped.

"Wait!"

"Yes, little mortal? Do you have a last request before death?" Harry nodded, trying to appear as brave as he was trying to be.

"I challenge you to a riddle game." The sphinxes stared at him in amazement but soon their looks of surprise melted into looks of menacing glee.

"Riddles, you saw?" They inquired lightly. "We accept. What are your conditions?" Harry knew that the sphinxes were giving him a handicap by allowing him to pick the rules of game play but at this moment he didn't care. He was going to use this advantage to it's fullest.

"First one to get a riddle wrong loses. If I win, you will let me pass through this gate unharmed, you will let me exit with my mate without trouble, and you will not tell anyone of our passing. If I lose, I won't put up a struggle and you can kill me without any mess. Deal?" Both magical creatures nodded, pleased smiles stretching their otherwise pretty faces into ugly masks.

"Then let the game begin," the two half-lions echoed.

"We will begin," the sphinxes said. "Here is the first riddle: What is so fragile that when you say its name you break it?" Harry could already feel the claws sinking into his flesh. Why did he ever agree to this? He was horrible at riddles. His forte was action, not logic. Never before had Harry been in more need of Hermione. What would she do in this situation? _Think it through Harry, take your time, its just a simple question. _Yes, something like that. Let's see, fragile and talking breaks it. What is broken by sound? Silence!!!! That's it! Harry turned back to his adversaries confidently.

"Silence. The answer is silence." The sphinxes looked slightly miffed but other than that didn't seem to bothered by his small victory.

"That is correct. Your turn, young one." Harry began to rack his brain for riddles, once again falling back on a memory of Hermione. Once she had bought a book of riddles in Hogsmeade. He remembered flipping through it briefly. Aha! He remembered one now. Hermione had made him try to figure it out.

"Alright," he said. "I have a riddle. Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet how you miss me, when I have flown." The sphinxes stared at him and Harry filled with pride at his success, absolutely sure he had beaten the two fiendish creatures. That is, until they started laughing at him.

"The mortal wants to play a riddle game with us," they cackled. "Yet, he uses the oldest riddle, the riddle that all know the answer to. The answer, foolish boy, is time." Harry nodded dejectedly. He couldn't let them get to him, his riddle may have been thwarted but he still hadn't lost.

"Our turn," the sphinxes purred. "Some will use me, while others will not, some have remembered, while others have forgot. For profit or gain, I'm used expertly, I can't be picked off the ground or tossed into the sea. Only gained from patience and time, can you unravel my rhyme?" Harry was dead meat. The other one was relatively easy but this was gibberish as far as he was concerned. Some will use me? Power? No, that's not right. No one ever forgets power. Profit…money? No, that doesn't work either. You can pick up money. What's only gained from patience and time, can be used, remembered or forgotten. Memories? No, but close, something to do with the mind…knowledge? Yes! That sounded right, though he wasn't positive.

"Knowledge," he inquired tentatively. The sphinxes looked furious as they nodded. Harry let a grin light up his face. He could do this, Draco _would_ come back with him whether these she-lions liked it or not.

"My turn," Harry said in a sing-song voice. Ah, if looks could kill he would be dead ten times over. Hmmm, he needed a riddle that wasn't quite so obvious, something that needed real consideration. "Okay, how about this. The more there is the less you see. What is it?" The sphinxes furrowed there brows, clearly not expecting to actually get a challenge from Harry.

"Darkness?" Damn. That was right. He hadn't expected for that to be that easy. It was only a matter of time before they asked him a riddle he couldn't figure out. He had to make sure that he tripped them up before they could trip him up.

"Yeah, that's right." Twin grinned stared maliciously down at him.

"Our turn, then, little mortal. This old one runs forever, but never moves at all. He has not lungs nor throat, but still a mighty roaring call. What is it?" Runs? Well, nothing that I know of roars when it runs…unless, water? Yes, water runs but it doesn't always roar. That's only when its white water. A waterfall? Yes, that luckily and very surprisingly easy…

"A waterfall?" The sphinxes nodded their heads grudgingly. Harry's grin widened.

"Next riddle then." Okay, here was his chance. He had to knock out the competition in one blow. It has to be something that a sphinx wouldn't know. Something modern! They've been guarding this gate for hundreds of years.

"What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?"

"What are you talking about? What are these objects?" Harry smiled at the sphinxes. "I'm not going to tell you. Answer the riddle or forfeit." The sphinxes stared at him for several minutes an Harry thought that they might be considering eating him anyways.

"Very well. We do not know the answer."

"The answer is that they were all invented by women." The sphinxes nodded and stepped aside for him to pass. Slowly the gate creaked open and he stepped inside.


	6. Chapter 6

Foxwitch: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I was in Israel!

Harry stepped into a world of bleached color and muted sound. The Veela paradise of Shangri-La was both ethereal and horribly oppressive. Harry wondered how Draco was expected to live in such a sterile place for the rest of time.

Still not understanding exactly what was required to save his would-be mate, Harry headed deeper into the mass of glaring white walls and platinum blonde hair.

As Harry had expected, it didn't take long to find Draco. His connect with the Veela drew him forward and in the exact direction of Draco.

His Veela sat near a sparkling fountain. He was the picture of ethereal beauty, elegant but as disturbingly silent as his surroundings.

"Draco!" He called the other boys name unconsciously, realizing too late that he had done the one thing the Veela queen had told him not to do. And though Draco didn't spare him a glance, as though he was invisible, the other Veela surrounding him turn their startled gazes on Harry.

"Who be you?" A tale male Veela growled.

"Ummm…Harry Potter. I'm here for Draco Malfoy."

"Draco has passed into our hands. What makes you think we will give him back?"

"Please! You don't understand. It's entirely fault that he's here. I- "

"We know," the Veela boomed. "That his death was your fault. However, we are willing to make a deal with you." Scandalized whispered rippled through the previously silent audience. Harry gulped nervously at the malicious glint in the Veela's eyes.

"Y-yeah?" Harry asked.

"Your soul, Potter. You soul for his."

Harry felt the color drain from his face. He had expected to put his life on the line but the actually choose between his own life and Malfoy's. Harry took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do. He had done Draco wrong and he had uncovered strong hidden feelings for the other boy.

"Fine," he said. The maliciousness melted from the Veela's eyes and he gave Harry a sad smile of understanding.

"You are a brave man, Harry Potter." The Veela reached out his hand and Harry could feel the life draining from his body.

Draco jolted up in bed. He had just had the strangest dream.

"Draco!"

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember," his mother questioned. He shook his head, looking curiously at the tears glinting with tears.

"No, the last thing I remember is tell Harry that he's my mate and him…rejecting me…" His mother nodded and she gave his father a sad glance.

"Yes Draco, Potter rejected you. For the last few days your soul as resided in Shangri-La." Draco shook his head disbelievingly at his mother.

"I don't understand. If I was dead, then why am I here now?" He could feel the fear rising in his chest. Something bad had happened, he just knew it.

"Potter went to retrieve your soul from death." Draco laughed, not really sure what he found so funny.

"You're lying," He laughed. "That would mean…" His mother nodded cautiously, as though she were afraid for her son's sanity.

"Draco, I'm so sorry."

"NO!" He leaped to his feet, tearing across the hospital wind to where Harry's soulless body lay. He started shaking the other boy's shoulders roughly. "Wake up, damnit. Wake UP!"

Tears were streaming from his eyes and his whole body was raked with violent sobs.

"Draco, stop it." His mother pleaded.

"Draco?" came a faint voice fro behind him. The Slytherin Veela whipped around frantically to stare into the shining emerald eyes of his mate.

"Harry? Oh gawd, I thought you were dead."

"Yeah, so did I."

"Then why-"

"It's quite simple, young ones." The Veela queen said from where she had been standing off to the side. They both looked at her with wide, curious gazes.

"The lord of Shangri-La can not take the life of one willing to sacrifice themselves for their mate. To do so would go against everything Veela stand for.

Draco and Harry both looked so relieved that they both might have burst into tears right then.

Harry and Draco stood in front of the Slytherin common room. Both glanced awkwardly at each other.

"So," Harry said. Draco cleared his throat lightly, toeing the ground nervously.

"Listen, Draco, I'm so sorry about rejecting you. I didn't know –"

Harry found himself unable to finish his sentence due to Draco's lips pressed against his own. At first he stood stiffly with Draco's lips against his but he quickly melted into the kiss. Cautiously, he slipped his tongue out to probe tentatively at Draco's mouth. Draco moaned lightly, parting his lips for his intended. Harry's tongue skimmed across the roof of his mouth, exploring every inch, before finally meeting Draco's tongue. Both battled for dominance briefly but Harry won out quickly and Draco melted into his arms with another breathy moan. Unfortunately, both were running short on air. Parting, Draco smiled cheekily at Harry, winked, and then turned back to the Slytherin common's entrance and whispered the password.

As the door closed behind Draco, Harry ran his hand through his hair, smiled lightly to himself and made his way back to Gryffindor tower.


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

The weeks since Draco's temporary death had passed by in a haze. As far as the rest of Hogwarts was concerned, Draco Malfoy had come down with a flu and by the next morning was back in classes as fit as a fiddle. However, it did not take the student body long to notice the new geniality between Malfoy and one Harry Potter and the two boy's relationship spread like wildfire through the school. After the first two weeks, their friend's initial shocked reactions had given way to acceptance, although neither Harry nor Draco had yet to find enough courage to tell their friends about Draco's predetermined intentions.

Strangely enough, it was not Draco who was having trouble with their current lack of intimacy. The supposedly "hormone driven Veela" was by far the more collected of the two, though Harry attempted to hide this fact like a dirty secret from his boyfriend.

Truthfully, Draco's coy smiles and casual flirting were driving Harry mad with lust. He had lost all of the small amount of focus he had had in potions because of the beautiful blonde sitting in front of him. Today, Harry was wrapped up in watching Draco brew a difficult potion. The look of attentiveness on his face was gorgeous and Harry couldn't help but notice Draco's left had occasionally straying upward to play with a lock of platinum hair as he thought about a particularly hard formula.

Harry must have been ogling his would-be mate more so than usual because Draco, feeling eyes on him, looked up from his work and, noticing Harry, gave his boyfriend one of those coy smiles that Harry thought was so sexy. He had to work very hard to stifle a moan at the sight. This was going to be a _very _long potions class.

Draco packed his books up slowly, eyeing his boyfriend out of the corner of his eye and sending a look that said, 'Hold up a minute. I need to talk to you.' Harry nodded his head and turn to Ron and Hermione, feeding them an excuse about needing to ask Snape a question about the assignment. Both Gryffindors bought the lie and headed off to dinner without him.

"What's up?" Harry asked him, smiling at the other boy. Draco loved that smile; one part goofy, one part sheepish, one part curious, and one part affectionate.

"Let's go somewhere private."

"Sure," Harry said, easily, clearly not catching on to what Draco was implying. He had to fight to not roll his eyes at his mate's clueless behavior. Twining his fingers with Harry's in a rare show of public, physical affection, Draco led the was to the Slytherin dorms. As Harry entered Draco's room, the blonde discretely pulled off his tie and hung it on the doorknob, closed the door and applied a quick locking and silencing spell to it. He had plans for his Harry tonight.

Harry plopped down on the edge of his bed, smiling up at him. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Draco smirked.

"Who said anything about talking?" In a blink he was straddling Harry's hips, literally sitting in his lap, facing him. Harry's eyes widened in surprise but he made no sign of disagreement, instead placing a hand on the small of Draco's back for support. Completely aware that this was the first actually intimate thing that they had done other than kiss, Harry was at a loss at to what to do. Thankfully, Draco wasn't as clueless.

Latching his mouth onto Harry's collarbone, he licked an nipped at the exposed skin above the neck of Harry's shirt, simultaneously sliding his and Harry's robes off their shoulders. Detaching his lips from Harry's collar, he made quick work of his tie and began with the buttons of his boyfriend's shirt.

"Impatient, are we," Harry rasped through his panted breathes and the sound went straight his groin, eliciting a moan from his own mouth. Harry helped Draco to shuck off his shirt and the blonde's quickly followed. Harry readjusted Draco in his lap, causing their erections to grind together and Harry let out a aroused growl. Draco stared wide-eyed at his boyfriend, who had just made the sexiest noise he had ever heard and had gone from being the inexperienced virgin to roughly clawing away Draco's belt.

Harry pulled off his mate's pants and underwear and maneuvered them onto the bed so that Draco was under him, meanwhile pulling off the rest of his own clothes, and pressed his bare skin against his boyfriend's. Draco arched his hips up with a whimper and pulled Harry in for a breathless kiss, letting his mate ravage his mouth.

Draco pushed lightly against Harry's shoulder and, curious as to what his mate would do, rolled off and allowed Draco to climb on top of him. Draco slide down his body, creating friction that had both groaning in pleasure. Finally, Draco stopped at Harry's leaking erection, eyeing the large shaft with nervous excitement. He had never given a blowjob before.

Hesitantly, he wrapped is tongue around the head, causing his mate to let out a little gasp. Smiling, he let more of the hard flesh into his mouth until he felt the tip hit the back of his throat. Draco moved up and down on Harry's pulsing cock, reveling in the groans of pleasure coming from his boyfriend.

Harry was sitting up on his elbows, watching the incredibly hot scene of Draco's mouth moving up and down on his cock. His breath was coming in harsh gasped and he could feel himself growing harder each time Draco increased his pace.

"Oh, God. Draco, ah, stop." Draco complied by released Harry's dick with a hurt expression. "Did I do something wrong?" Harry let out a breathless laugh and captured Draco's lips in a passionate kiss, moaning lightly at the taste of himself in Draco's mouth.

"Of course not, love. I just didn't want to cum before we got to the best part." Draco blushed crimson and ducked his head to bury his face in Harry's shoulder and let out a muffled "oh".

"We won't go all the way if you don't want to." Harry said, bringing Draco back up to face him and smiling nervously at his mate.

"I want to." Harry nodded. Getting over his embarrassment, Draco smiled seductively at Harry, grabbed his mate's hand and taking two of the fingers into to his mouth. Harry moaned in appreciation and stared at the scene that Draco made as he moved the fingers in and out of his mouth to imitate things to come. Harry got unimaginably hard just watching it.

Retrieving his fingers from Draco's hot mouth, he moved his hand behind the blonde and swirled them around the tight hole he found their. Draco let out a sharp intake of breath as he began to push past the tight ring of muscles.

"Ah," Draco cried out, clutching Harry's shoulders tightly.

"Shhh, almost there." And true to his word, Harry quickly found his mate's prostate and began fingering it. Pretty soon, Draco's cries of pain were replaced by throaty moans. Withdrawing his fingers, Harry positioned his cock at Draco's entrance. Draco nodded his head and Harry entered him in one quick thrust. Draco tensed, grasping frantically at the sheets, and clenched his jaw painfully. Harry stayed as still as he could, whispering comforting words in the blonde's ear and making soothing circles on Draco's back. After a few minutes, Harry felt Draco shift and the blonde let out a pleasured gasp. Harry thrust his hips upward and was rewarded by a drawn out moan.

"You like that?" Harry asked his voice husky and breathless. Draco nodded and moaned again as Harry thrust up harder.

Harry, please, stop teasing me!" He didn't need to be told twice. He began to make long thrusts into his mate, establishing a rhythm that Draco eagerly matched. Harry shifted slightly which resulted in a high-pitched scream from Draco.

"What was that?!!!" The blonde half moaned, half yelled. Harry grinned sexily.

"I think it was your prostate."

Again," Draco moaned, grasping mindlessly at Harry's shoulders. The brunette let out another one of his feral growls and began to thrust more quickly into Draco, hitting his prostate every time. With each thrust, Draco let out a "Oh, Harry," or a "Harder!" or a "Yes. Yes. YESSSS!" Harry moaned just as loudly, occasionally let out little grunts as he thrust into the tight heat. He could feel himself getting closer to release and Draco's tightening muscles suggested that he, too, was close.

"Come on Draco. Cum for me, love." And right on cue, Draco screamed out Harry's name and came in hot spurts all over Harry's stomach. Harry moaned loudly as he felt Draco's muscles constrict around him. With a few quick thrusts, he came whispering his love for Draco in the blonde's ear.

"Merlin, Draco, I love you." The blonde smiled affectionately at his mate. "I love you, too, my Harry."


End file.
